impact YOUR
REPORT ON ANNUAL GIVING 2019-2020
2019-2020
Volunteer Leadership BUA HEAD OF SCHOOL ADVISORY BOARD Kenneth Bacow ’00 Co-chair Margo Seltzer P’16, P’18 Co-chair Carl Beatty P’16 Norman Blanchard (Questrom’88,’94) P’16 Michael Bongiorno P’18 Charles Desmond Karen Gratiano P’20 Njeri Grevious ’13 Graham Healy-Day ’07 Katie Kozin ’00 Jennifer Johnson ’00 Shaheen Lakhani P’22 Alex Maloney ’02 Timothy Manning (MET’97) P’16 Karen Mueller P’23 Barbara Rotger (MET’11) P’13, P’17 Sharon Stanfill P’11 Esmeralda Swartz P’22, P’24 Cristy Walsh P’22
BUA PARENTS NETWORK LEADERSHIP TEAM Lynne Chuang P’21, P’22 Co-Chair Diane Gwin P’22 Co-Chair Jill Becker P’23 Jenny Brown P’21 Lynne Chuang P’21, P’22 Myriam Cyr P’18, P’20, P’21 Venky Ganesan P’23 Karen Gratiano P’20 Vanessa Holroyd P’23 Lakshmi Janardhanan P’23 Rebecca Lamkin P’20 Natalie Liu P’21 Ann McCarthy P’22 Gina Mourtzinou P’17, P’21 Sue Reason P’20, P’23 Esmeralda Swartz P’22, P’24 Hongmei Wang P’20, P’22 Fiona Wang P’23 Barbi Woolf P’19, P’22 Halle Zhang P’19, P’22
2019 Fall Festival Students vs. Adults Tug of War
Thank You! In 2019-2020, 56% of current families volunteered for BUA. We are grateful to everyone who donated their time, energy, and expertise to help our school thrive.
A MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
DEAR BUA COMMUNITY, Since I began my time at BUA in July, I’ve prioritized getting to know the students, parents, alumni, faculty, and staff who make up this extraordinary, multi-generational BUA family. I’ve learned that this is a community where people care deeply about one another and about the future of our school. You show that care in many ways, including by investing financially in the school’s present and future. We are so grateful. Thanks to your help, we are able to offer a top-notch, joyful, safe, in-person learning experience for these kids during a pandemic. Your support allowed us to: • Invest in the infrastructure and systems to offer in-person learning from day one • Add the classroom technology to give students the option of learning from home • Meet 100% of the incremental need for families impacted by COVID-19 At the same time, you made it possible for us to increase our commitment to access and excellence, even in these challenging times: • Providing need-based financial aid to 31% of students with an average grant of $32,780, ensuring that BUA remains broadly accessible • Supporting our talented, passionate teachers and offering them rich faculty professional learning opportunities • Enhancing program offerings in the arts, athletics, academics, and student activities Every gift to BUA — big or small — had an impact on our ability to carry out our mission of educating kind and curious students. The following pages illustrate your impact on the students and teachers at Boston University Academy. Thank you for your generosity, and for your care and commitment to BUA: we are better together. With gratitude,
Chris Kolovos Head of School
YOUR impact
Fundraising Annual Fund
BY THE NUMBERS
100%
$500K $450K
OF FACULTY AND STAFF GAVE TO THE ANNUAL FUND
PARENT PARTICIPATION
$400K $350K $300K
2015-16
2016-17
2017-18
2018-19
2019-20
Charitable Giving by Source and Purpose in 2019-2020
CLASS OF 2023 CLASS OF 2022 CLASS OF 2021 CLASS OF 2020
84% 73% 72% 79%
• Gifts are recorded in only one category, even if a constituent has multiple affiliations.
Unrestricted Annual Fund Giving
Total Giving
Current Parents
$311,852
$314,864
Past Parents
$83,418
$109,418
Faculty and Staff
$3,242
$3,242
Alumni
$36,597
$37,670
Corporations and Foundations
$14,009
$24,259
$11,111
$15,136
$460,229
$504,589
Friends and Others Grand Total
2 Report on Annual Giving
Financial Aid Boston University Academy is committed to providing an exceptional and accessible education to talented and passionate students from all backgrounds. Economic diversity enriches BUA and is one of the many reasons we are such a vibrant and dynamic school environment. BUA allocates financial aid based on a family’s demonstrated need and the school’s available funds, with the goal of providing 100% of the funds a family is eligible to receive. All awards are in the form of grants that do not need to be repaid. Additional grants are awarded to help defray the cost of books and incidental charges such as public transportation, lunch, supplies, school trips, tutoring, and the college application process. Laptops are provided for students whose grants represent 75% or more of the cost of tuition.
MANNING FUND FOR HOLISTIC FINANCIAL AID This past year, BUA established the Manning Fund for Holistic Financial Aid, a permanently endowed fund that will support non-tuition expenses incurred by BUA students receiving need-based tuition assistance. These expenses include meals, tutoring, summer classes, standardized test preparation, school supplies, transportation, life emergencies, and other needs as determined by the Head of School. We are extraordinarily grateful to Tim Manning (MET’97) and Lisa Manning, P’16, for their generosity and commitment to making the full BUA experience accessible to all students.
In 2019-2020:
$2,078,369
FINANCIAL AID BUDGET
31%
OF FAMILIES RECEIVED FINANCIAL AID
$30,457
AVERAGE NEED-BASED AWARD
$152,037
FUNDS AWARDED IN THE FORM OF BOOK, LAPTOP, AND INCIDENTAL GRANTS
“
I can say without a trace of irony or hyperbole that Boston University Academy has been a life-changing experience for my son – and it would not have been possible without financial aid...the cost of tuition was far beyond our family’s reach. Financial aid stepped in, and I cannot thank the donors and decision-makers enough for investing in my child. As a parent, I know BUA has given my son the best pathway to post-secondary education. More importantly, it has given him the best secondary education – and has utterly changed his self-regard and his world perspective.
”
— Parent of a Senior
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YOUR impact
Response to COVID-19 Despite the unprecedented circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, BUA rose to meet the challenge. From transitioning in short order to remote learning; to bringing student activities to life online; to hosting a virtual Commencement brimming with joy and emotion: our community rallied together in true BUA fashion to make the most of a difficult time. The COVID-19 crisis impacted many BUA families, some more deeply than others. The school worked closely with individual families to ensure that the economic downturn did not affect their ability to afford BUA. Thank you to the alumni, current parents, parents of alumni, and friends who made this possible through contributions to the BUA Annual Fund in support of financial aid. BUA’s mission celebrates “our caring high school community.” By removing financial barriers for those families experiencing hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, your generosity animated our joint responsibility to caring for one another and helped to preserve the community we all love. We are deeply grateful for your support.
WE ARE PROUD TO HAVE MET 100% OF BUA FAMILIES’ INCREMENTAL FINANCIAL AID NEED AS A RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC, WHICH ENSURED THAT ALL STUDENTS COULD RETURN TO BUA THIS FALL.
4 Report on Annual Giving
Thank You, Ms. Cellucci! Visual Arts Instructor Elizabeth Cellucci announced her retirement from Boston University Academy in the summer of 2020, following a 20-year career at the school. Beloved by generations of BUA students, Ms. Cellucci is known for her calm presence, encouraging guidance, and sharp eye for form and detail. Ms. Cellucci is also the mother of two BUA graduates: Mia ‘06 and Stephen ‘03. We are grateful for Liz’s two decades of service to Boston University Academy, and will miss her deeply. Hear what BUA community members had to say about Liz:
“
Liz is as artistically talented as she is kind. Her calming and nurturing presence is apparent in everything she does: from mentoring students in art class, to beautifying the walls of the building, to individual conversations and support of her advisees. She has embodied the spirit and kindness of BUA in all of her years here.
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”
“
”
“
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— Olive Brown P’15, P’20, P’22, P’24, History Instructor
Ms. Cellucci is a wonderful teacher — kind and supportive! My daughter Julia loved her and learned so much in her class. Julia often said going to Ms. Cellucci’s art class or art club was the best part of the day — an opportunity to relax and create — a bit of therapy during the day. — Karen Dickinson P’22, P’23
— Rosemary White, Assistant Head of School
In a hectic BUA school day, Liz Cellucci’s class was an oasis. Her nurturing spirit saw artistic possibilities in every student’s artwork; she fostered beautiful work from students who had never taken art before as well as from students who were already masters. But Liz was far more to BUA than an art teacher: over and over in a busy faculty meeting her voice would slow us down to the consideration of each child as an individual soul. Perhaps because of her own artistic spirit, she saw more in students and colleagues than they saw in themselves, and she heard more than was said. She was generous in sharing her appreciation and her attention with others, both students and adults. She deserves all the rest, fun, and joy that retirement can bring!
Martin Brunswick ‘20, Hill House
As an alumna of BUA, I had the pleasure of sharing my mom with many generations of students who were impacted by her warmth and guidance. One thing that really impressed me about my mom’s approach to teaching visual arts at BUA was the tailored approach she took with each student. She has always been highly skilled at refining her approach as a teacher to meet an individual student’s needs — understanding that some students are very drawn to visual art, while others approach it with more trepidation. Helping students discover their own creativity is one of her superpowers and has always brought her so much joy! — Mia Cellucci ‘06
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“
I had the absolute privilege of being Liz’s assistant for three years. I saw firsthand the way she was able to weave technical growth, creative development, and joy into the arts curriculum at BUA. She turned a simple classroom into a vibrant community space where students feel secure and encouraged to express themselves. I watched her foster growth in students of all levels of skill and confidence, leading to beautiful and meaningful work from every student who walked through the door. More than that, she was a powerful supportive figure for her advisees and students alike, and their appreciation of her is still palpable. — Lainey Chippero, Art Instructor
”
Boston University Academy 5
YOUR impact
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion BUA is working to build an inclusive and antiracist culture, and is taking action to make BUA a school that is reflective of the vibrant city of which we are a part. We have made significant strides towards this goal. In 2019-2020, BUA deepened connections with access organizations and feeder schools like A Better Chance and Beacon Academy, as well as its commitment to financial aid. In the 2019-2020 academic year, 31% of students received tuition assistance — a far higher percentage than at many of our peer independent schools. Recent faculty and staff professional development efforts have been aimed at unpacking unconscious biases and building competencies to address race in the classroom and in the curriculum. BUA created a Diversity & Inclusion Fund, supported in part from a grant from the E. E. Ford Foundation, that will reinforce this work. We have created a Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, a group that includes BUA faculty, staff and students, and which plays a central role in carrying many of the school’s DEI initiatives forward.
IN 2019-2020:
57%
62
OF STUDENTS SELF-IDENTIFIED AS STUDENTS OF COLOR
CITIES AND TOWNS WERE REPRESENTED
47%
26
OF THE STUDENT BODY IDENTIFIED AS MULTILINGUAL
6 Report on Annual Giving
DIFFERENT LANGUAGES WERE SPOKEN AT HOME
31%
OF STUDENTS RECEIVED TUITION ASSISTANCE
This moment in our country’s history offers an opportunity and an obligation for institutions like BUA to accelerate positive change. Our first task has been to listen, particularly to our students, families, and graduates of color, and we have done that through one-on-one and group-level conversations between current students and alumni, and BUA leadership. BUA has also taken action steps and planned initiatives including: · Hosting affinity group sessions with an outside facilitator for current students and recent alumni who identify as Black or Latinx to create a space for those students to share their experiences and provide an avenue for learning for the school · Partnering with the senior leadership of the Student Council to learn more about BUA students’ experiences with bias and discrimination on campus · Student Council-led survey of all current BUA students on race and inclusion · Holding cultural competency workshops for all advisors to discuss issues related to race and socioeconomic status in advising · Increasing the number of race-based affinity group sessions for current students who identify as Black and Latinx with a trained, outside facilitator · Enhancing programming for Hispanic-American Heritage Month and Black History Month, including meaningful connections in the curriculum · Hosting a book discussion with our parent community on Dr. Ibram X. Kendi’s How to be An Antiracist · Full faculty-staff conversations about racism, bias, and inclusion, and ideas for change Systemic change is a process, not an end-point. BUA has and will continue to pursue equity and inclusion for our Black, Latinx, LGBTQ+, and other marginalized or underrepresented students, and a pervasive culture of antiracism for our entire community. Thank you for your partnership in these efforts.
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YOUR impact
Faculty Support Your philanthropy to BUA ensures that BUA recruits and retains exceptional teachers — the school’s most important resource. Our faculty are experts in their fields, and have chosen to teach at BUA because they are excited to engage with our kind, curious, and capable students. Tight-knit teacher-student relationships are at the core of the BUA experience. Furthermore, gifts to BUA’s Annual Fund enabled our faculty to transition quickly to remote teaching last spring and hybrid teaching this year. Teachers took advantage of professional development opportunities and new technology to continue delivering top-notch instruction to their students. Below is a sampling of the many conferences and workshops attended by BUA faculty and administrators: · The Dean’s Roundtable Conference, a four-day workshop to educate and connect student support administrators at independent schools across the country · The two-day AISNE Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Conference · Beacon Academy’s Annual Symposium on Race and Class in Independent Schools · The Society for Classical Studies Annual Meeting · Our Voices: A Conference for Inclusive Classics Pedagogy Your gifts also supported professional memberships and the much-loved faculty cultural enrichment stipend, which faculty and staff spent on books; newspaper subscriptions; theater, concert, and museum tickets; and more.
8 Report on Annual Giving
Berkman Fund for Faculty Support The James S. Berkman Fund for Faculty Support was established in 2015 in honor of James S. Berkman upon his retirement as head of school. The income from this permanently endowed fund provides support for BUA faculty seeking professional development opportunities. In 2019-2020: · Dr. Mark Alonge participated in the Conventiculum Bostoniense, a week-long immersion residential summer institute, where participants exclusively speak Latin 24/7 with faculty and fellow students. · Four faculty members attended the Learning and the Brain Conference, a three-day workshop that focuses on applying the science of learning to teaching methods.
“
Before I had Mr. Dent as a teacher, I would approach math in a very mechanical plug and chug sort of way. But after he taught my 9th grade algebra class, and now that he is teaching me again in calculus, I am able to apply my creative mindset to not only English and art, but also to math. Mr. Dent has completely changed my attitude regarding math, and I am forever grateful for this.
”
95%
OF TEACHING FACULTY HOLD ADVANCED DEGREES
9.4
— Saoirse Killion ‘21
YEARS AVERAGE TEACHER TENURE
Haley Murphy Morrill Scholar Katie Kara’a ‘22 was selected as the 2019-2020 Haley Murphy Morrill Scholar, which is awarded to a sophomore girl who embodies the traits of loyalty, friendship, and avid readership. The Haley Murphy Morrill Memorial Scholarship Fund was established in 2008 by Eileen E. Murphy and Bruce F. Morrill in memory of their beloved daughter, Haley Murphy Morrill (BUA Class of 2010).
Boston University Academy 9
YOUR impact
Academic Programs BUA’s high quality academic programs are sustained by community support. Whether it’s new supplies for science labs, updated technology, or college counseling travel, giving to the Annual Fund allows school leadership to say “Yes!” when new ideas and opportunities arise. In 2019-2020, generosity to BUA enabled the school to offer new resources to students:
· BUA hired a permanent learning specialist. This part-time position provides academic support and study skills across all disciplines, and works to develop strategies for students with learning differences. · BUA launched an after-school study hall and tutoring program, which provides access to undergraduate tutors who have experience in specific academic subjects. These resources complement the Writing Center and Math & Science Help Center.
The Great Teachers Fund for Academic Enhancement The Great Teachers Fund for Academic Enhancement was established in 2017 as a permanent endowment by Ruth A. Moorman (CAS’88, Wheelock’89,’07) and Sheldon Simon, parents of Sarah Simon ‘15. The Fund underwrites unique learning opportunities that lift the quality of teaching inside and outside the classroom. In 2019-2020, the Great Teachers Fund supported the following experiences: · Dr. Rosemary White and Dr. Pat Larash took students to the Science on Screen showing of “Arrival” and enjoyed a fascinating pre-show talk by Harvard astrophysicist Dr. Abraham Loeb about current research related to interstellar travel and extraterrestrial life. · Dr. Jennifer Formichelli took her “Jane Austen in Our Time” senior seminar to the Downton Abbey exhibit at the Castle at Park Plaza. The immersive experience featured set recreations, historic artifacts, and an authentic costume display from the postEdwardian England era in which the television series is based. · Dr. Pat Larash took ten BUA students and teachers to An Iliad, a one-man show adaptation of Homer’s epic poem, at the Emerson Paramount Center.
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AT A GLANCE
10:1
STUDENT-TEACHER RATIO
11
AVERAGE CLASS SIZE
2,000+
UNDERGRADUATE COURSES AVAILABLE
168
UNIQUE UNIVERSITY COURSES TAKEN BY BUA STUDENTS, INCLUDING:
Medical Ethics | Spanish-American Literature Through the Nineteenth Century Tropical Metropolis and Brazilian Modernity | Japanese 4 | Modern Arabic 4 Geometric Algorithms | Foundations of American Public Policy | Chemistry in Culture and Society | African Politics Today | Climate Change and Sustainability The Reemergence of Russia | Natural Products Chemistry | Introduction to African American Literature Boston University Academy 11
YOUR impact
Athletics and P.E. BUA’s Physical Education and Athletics programs offer opportunities for students not only to exercise, but more importantly to develop lifelong wellness habits and learn the values of teamwork and healthy competition.
In 2019-2020, BUA offered 14 physical education options, including aerial silks, rowing, kayaking, karate, spinning, squash, total body conditioning, mindfulness, fencing, hip hop dance, rock climbing, basketball, volleyball, and yoga.
Gifts to BUA support: · Coach and instructor stipends · Facility rentals and referee fees · Transportation costs · Athletic trainers at soccer and basketball games · Upgrades to uniforms and equipment
Boys Soccer at Fall Festival
Performing and Visual Arts In addition to our regularly-scheduled arts programming earlier in the year — including the Winter Concert and the Winter Play, “An Evening with Durang and Ives” — our Visual and Performing Arts departments pivoted to find ways for students to collaborate and create art together, at home. Some of the projects included:
· “Still Life from Home” (Visual Arts Foundations I) · “The View from My Window” (Visual Arts Foundations I) · Virtual Student Art Show
Rohan Biju ‘23
· Student song collaborations: Justin Bieber’s “Sorry”; Amy Winehouse’s “Valerie” · Virtual Commencement 2020 performance: “Go the Distance” (Polytropos Advanced Mens’ Chorus) · Zoom reading by professional actors of the one-act drama “Hands on a Hard Body” (Advanced Drama)
An Evening with Durang and Ives
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Joie Liu ‘23
Student Activities: BY THE NUMBERS
15
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The classroom knows no boundaries here — it seeps into hallways, after-school activities, and even to home. The more you immerse yourself, the more you will learn, and the more you will find those magical moments of shared understanding that unite the BUA community.
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STRIKES THROWN AT THE FRESHMAN BOWLING EVENT
— Phevos Paschalidis ‘21
3 STUDENTS 1 175
PARTICIPATED IN THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS PEOPLE OF COLOR CONFERENCE IN SEATTLE, WA
DIGITAL COPY OF MUSE, THE LITERARY MAGAZINE
POSTS TO THE NEWLY FORMED STUDENT COUNCIL INSTAGRAM PAGE
8 HOURS
OF ARGUMENT DURING THE FINAL ROUND OF THE 2019-2020 NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL ETHICS BOWL
12
RUBIK’S CUBES TWISTING FOR THE NEW CUBING CLUB
20
GOGGLES PURCHASED FOR THE NEW ACS-CERTIFIED CHEMISTRY CLUB
90
STUDENTS ATTENDED CAMP BURGESS
8
ANCIENT GREEK AND LATIN DECLAMATIONS AT THE ANNUAL BUA CLASSICS DECLAMATION CONTEST buacademy.org/ 2020declamations Boston University Academy 13
YOUR impact
Alumni Impact
Class of 2000 Zoom Reunion
Alumni Law Career Panel
• 158 alumni attended 21 alumni events in Boston, New York City, San Francisco, Washington D.C., and on Zoom! • 54 alumni volunteered for BUA as admission interviewers, panelists, speakers, college ambassadors, or career ambassadors • 103 alumni spanning 20+ graduation years made a gift to BUA during the Terriers Helping Terriers Alumni Challenge in support of financial aid, which unlocked a bonus gift from the Class of 2000
New York City Alumni Gathering
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This gift obviously carries symbolic weight, as we were unfortunately unable to attend our Prom this year. We hope this class gift can capture the spirit of our grade’s kindness and generosity, as well as provide some relief to families affected by the current pandemic.
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— Maria Levit ‘20 and Will Reason ‘20, Class of 2020 Senior Class Gift
14 Report on Annual Giving
Thank you again for your generous support of Boston University Academy. We hope this report has brought to life the many ways that your gift to BUA has a tangible impact on the daily experience of our students and teachers.
Your philanthropy accelerates our progress and extends our capacity to support the efforts of our students and faculty. When you make a gift, no matter the amount, you make a tangible impact at Boston University Academy.
To make a gift to the 2020-2021 Annual Fund, please visit
buacademy.org/support
In our caring high-school community, students who love learning are challenged to think critically and read deeply, and to explore adventurously the wider world of learning at Boston University.